


The young boy and the fish

by QueenPotatos



Category: Free!
Genre: HaruRinHaru Christmas Exchange 2016, M/M, Magical!AU, Two Shot, mermaid!au, merry Xmas !!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-09 06:20:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8879308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenPotatos/pseuds/QueenPotatos
Summary: Once upon a time a young boy met a fish, and nothing was the same again - to think a mere human was gifted with magical powers! Such an infamy needed to be punished...But what's to be done when the gift turns out to be a curse?





	1. the young man's tale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aelys_Althea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelys_Althea/gifts).



> Merry Xmas to you :) I hope you'll enjoy it I had quite some fun writing this.  
> I hope you have no problem with 1er POV tho :x

## First book - The young man's tale 

* * *

 

 

As long as I can remember my life had always been related to water. We were all born in water after all even if it was inside out mother's belly. When I was five my mom took me to the sea for the very first time and I never left water since. I insisted upon living with my grand mother for most of my childhood so I could be by the ocean as much as possible but my teenage years and the need to be next to high school and college took me away from my first love. I do not used the word love as a metaphor. I do love water more than I do with other humans being. It never betrayed me or failed me, and gave me everything I asked for without asking anything else in return. Sometimes it's almost as if we understood each other. 

It's probably a way to thank me. You see, when I was five when my mom took me to the sea the very first time, I saved a fish. Now that I think about it, it was probably just a sardine or something of the sort but I was proud. The fish was left abandoned by a strong wave on the beach and couldn't reach its home so I took it in my hand and gave it back to its mother. As soon as it touched the water the fish stood straight on his fin and thanked me. I remember his words clearly. 

_"Thank you human! What's your name?"_

"Haruka," I answered. I was still a boy, still a bit shy. 

_"Well, Haruka you saved me from a certain death and I'll never be enough thankful for that. I haven't got a lot to give but take this."_

The fish had jumped from the sea to my face and left a kiss there, then got back to the sea. 

_"Come back here when you get 18. I'll give you a gift you'll never regret."_

I think about that kiss a lot when Rin kisses me there. You might think there's a lot of weird things going into my head and you're probably right. Why am I thinking of this stupid fish while Rin fucks me I have no idea. Rin always leaves me with thoughts of the sea. Every time I see him I can hear the seagulls and the waves crashing on the shore. He comes and goes into me, cries into my ears, spreads his foam inside me and I feel like making love with the sea. 

When he finishes Rin always makes a small and embarrassing laugh, I still don't know why exactly, because there's nothing really funny or to be embarrassed of he is by far the best lover I ever had – he's also the only one though. 

"What's happening?" I ask him. 

He's breathless, his breath tickles my ear. I'm still sitting on his thighs with his dick inside me. "Nothing. You seem a bit off that's all." 

"I was thinking of an old memory." 

"Ah, what kind of memory?" 

Rin is always very thoughtful about what I think, probably because I don't say much. "Nothing important, but it was pleasant." 

I don't want to push him around. I've known him for a long time now but we've only been together for a couple of month – eight exactly. I never talked about the fish incident to anyone yet. I know it sounds crazy but I am sure it was true. I saw a fish talking and kissing my cheek that night and I was way too young to imagine it. I had no sense of imagination then. 

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" 

We're spending the last hour of July the 29th together, and tomorrow will be my birthday. That's probably what Rin wants to know. Do I want to get out on a date with him for my birthday? I'd like to be alone in the sea for a change...not that I hadn't shared the water with Rin but tomorrow is going to be a special day for the water and me. 

"I have some things to do but I'll call you when I'm free." I tell him. Because I want to spent the day at the sea but I will give everything to spent the night with him. He doesn't need to know that yet though. 

Rin kisses me on the top of my shoulder, then on my neck, then my cheekbones. "Okay." 

His voice is suave. To think I've known him half of my life and that I only noticed this a couple of weeks ago. Life can be unpredictable in more than one ways. 

 

For those who are left behind my name is Haruka Nanase. I'm about to be 18 and we've just finished high school. My best friend Makoto lives just next to my house and we're working together at the local market place – he sells fruits and vegetables while I sell fishes. 

That's certainly why I'm thinking of the fish so much. It's been 13 years after all I don't know why I'm thinking about it all of a sudden. 

"Haru you're only eating your mackerel?" 

"I'm not that hungry." I lie. Today the food I made taste horrible. I didn't know people could miscook rice until I did. 

"Did something happened? Are you alright?" Makoto can be really annoying when he does on mom's mode. I still think it's because of his own uncertainty. 

"Did something happened why Rin?" He asks, but it's none of his business. 

"No, we're good." We're extremely good. 

"Because he asked me to check on you, and to tell him if you were...weird of something." 

I'll be honest with you. Everyone in the village calls me the "weird kid". 

I don't blame them because there's some part of truth there, only Makoto and Rin really know me. When I was ten I used to swim a lot in the lagoon before it was forbidden. Then, I start swimming with other kids in our school swimming pool. That's when I met Rin, he was the only one following my pace, all the others were left behind. I used to tell them I was fast because I was talking with the water; Rin found it cool and the other ones freaked out. That's when we became friends - lets say I didn't make a lot of friend from then. 

That's why it unsettled me when Makoto said that. Rin finds me weird? How so? What have I done recently? 

All these questions pop into my head as I bite into the hard and tasteless rubber-like substance Makoto calls a birthday cake. He probably made it himself – or maybe the twins helped him? - so I swallow it with the best smile I can give him. He doesn't buy it. He must think there's definitely something wrong with Rin. 

When there isn't, really. Is there? He thinks I'm weird after all so maybe there is... 

 

The day couldn't get any worse when I finally got my privilege moment with the sea. You might think it's some kind of fairy tale I told myself to get away from the boring world in which we live but it's not. It was real, and I still hang on the promise the fish made. Tonight was my 18th birthday and so as promised I went to the sea to receive what was supposed to be the best gift of my young life. 

I am still waiting. 

Nothing's coming. I know it won't. But still I'm hoping. 

In the end, I think, I mistook what I was truly waiting for. 

"Hey," 

Rin sits next to me with a bottle of beer and fresh water. It means it's past midnight – he knows about my relationship with the sea and has always respected it. I'll never be thankful enough for that. 

"So," there's a long pause where none of us speaks but watch the waves crashing just a few centimetres from our feet – some reach the tip of Rin's toes. "How was dinner?" 

"Fine." 

"And the night?" 

"Calm." 

"And now? What do you want to do?" 

There's a million of things I can do with Rin, a hundred I really want to, but tonight there's still disappointment and 13 years of expectation leaving me all at once and for some reasons it makes me really tired. 

"I want to sleep." 

Rin holds my hand and we're back at his place. 

 

 

The last day of July shows the first ray of light through the window of Rin's ridiculously small bedroom – the tons of poster of bad movies, surfers and magician's troops make it worse. I lift my hand to protect my eyes from the light and as I stare at its back stupor hits me. I am no different from the day before, and I won't be any different tomorrow. I will remain the same person my whole life. 

For some reason I find my discovery pretty stupid but I just realize it now. I will have to bare my own self for the rest of my life and there is nothing more frightening. Until the day I die I will have to stare at the very same hand every time I want to hide my sight off of the light of the day. I wonder why I thought I would be the only one escaping this reality. 

"'ning." 

"Hmmmm." 

Neither Rin nor I are early birds. But today I'm very hungry. I feel like I haven't eaten all day. 

I am hungry. 

"Ouach!!" 

It doesn't mean I could bite Rin's arm I know but it looked delicious. 

 

"What do you want for breakfast?" 

I open his fridge. There's some orange juice and proteins bar, I'll go with it and cook mackerel when I go home. If I go home. 

I don't feel like going home but I don't feel like staying here either. Rin is staring at me as if I was weird. Is there something on my face or something? 

I spent the day at the beach, swimming. I checked when I got home. It's not on my face but on the small of my back. 

It's difficult to see from where it's placed but I guess it's just a love bite. That's why Rin was staring. 

 

 

 

The following week Makoto notices the 'love bite' which have grown on my arms. 

 

Two things are important to note there. First I noticed it before Makoto did for once and two, they aren't really love bites. It's...it's rather difficult to explain.  

"Oh, some of the fishes' scales got on your arm." 

Makoto smiles and tried to take some off but I ignore him. I can't really tell him they don't come from a fish. 

I can't tell him the tons of fish I buy aren't for the orphans either, but for my personal consummation. 

It's not my fault I haven't been able to eat anything but fish these days. At first the food was just tasteless, but it got disgusting over the days. Vegetables taste of earth, rice of sour, and meat...meat was just the same I never really understood why Rin love it that much. 

I am so hungry. 

Eating fish all day isn't really healthy I guess. Rin told me. 

Rin looks really handsome these days by the way, I mean more than usual. Not that I complain I just thought I was unaffected by beauty standards. The more scales I got on my body the more Rin looks stunning. 

I know there is something wrong with me. 

I know because some nights I'm so hungry I can't wait to cook mackerel. Some nights I eat it raw. It's better raw. 

 

 

"Haru! What the fuck is wrong with you !!" 

If you're wondering why Rin is screaming at me today it's because we were supposed to have a lovely Sunday morning under the sheets but instead I am starving. So I bit on his wrist. 

I didn't expect to cut through his skin that much, honestly. I haven't bit that much...have I? 

When breakfast is served at long last, Rin puts his finger into my mouth. "Your teeth are pointy." He tells me. 

"Just like yours." 

He scowls. "Yeah but it has always been this way. It's new with you. What have you done? File them to look a little bit more like me? You could have started by drying your hair." 

Rin can make me smile in the most dramatic situations, always. I kiss him, and taste his blood against his lips. His blood tastes good too. His flesh... 

"Haru! Stop biting me!" 

My pout can't do a thing to save me this time. The worse is not that Rin looks angry, what scares me is the fright and concern in his eyes. He's scared too, because of me. He can see it too. He can feel them. 

Until I have figured what's really happening to me I cannot stay at his place. I went to the sea instead. 

The water is warm as always. I always ask the sea for answers when I'm lost, which didn't happened a lot recently. 

'What's happening to me?' 

 _'_ _Haruka_ _! Long time no see! Where have you been? We've been missing you!'_  

'I was busy with being human...sorry I neglected you for so long. Maybe you can help me. Do you know what's happening to me?' 

 _'Of course we know!_ _Isn't it your dearest wish,_ _Haruka_ _?'_  

From then there's nothing more I want to ask to the sea. 

 

 

 

 

"Haru," 

Makoto knocks at my door. I haven't been out for some time. 

A couple of days. There's no mackerel left in the fridge. 

"Haru!!" 

I open my eyes to Rin's voice. Both of them are here. It must be something bad. 

I forbid them to open the lights when they come in. August's sun is hard on my eyes. I've been leaving in the dark for some time. I don't remember how much. 

I smell Rin's cologne and his sweat. Smell good. 

Rin tastes good too. 

"Rin..." 

I walk towards him, it's difficult with my toes being linked. Can't see but I hear them. 

"Rin." 

"Oh my god...Haru what's happening? We should call a doctor!!" 

Makoto's voice. 

"No, don't do that. Let me take care of him." 

"But you've seen his...ears! His feet ! His skin- oh my Rin watch out!!!" 

Rin's skin is delicious. His blood is warm. He hits me on the head. I let out a cry. 

Was that really my voice? 

I don't recognize me anymore. 

The face on the mirror is not mine. My thoughts are gone too. 

I can't think of anything buy eating and Rin. I need blood. I need water. 

Blood. 

Water. 

Rin. 

Rin... 

 

**_*THUG*_  **

 

 

 

 

 

"...what are we going to do now?" 

Rin puts down the vase he had knocked Haru out with. "You stay out of it. I'll take care of him." 

"But-" 

"Makoto, don't ask questions. You might not like the answers." 

With shaking hands Makoto covers Haru's body and helps Rin holding him on his shoulder. They came here out of worry because Haru had locked himself in for two whole weeks without going out but never did he expected to see such a sight. Haru doesn't even look like a human anymore; his eyes are golden and round, his ears wide, pointed and turquoise, the scales are covering a good half of his body, especially his legs, which are starting to stick together just like his toes.  

"Is he going to be okay?" 

What a stupid question. Haru is turning into a monster, how can the situation be any worse? 

"What have I just told you?" 

It's not usual for Rin to be so serious. The situation undoubtedly is, but now, it seems almost desperate. Makoto isn't sure he will see his best friend again. To be honest Rin doesn't either; and since he is the only one who knows what is really going on, it talks volumes about Haru's delicate condition. 

"Don't try to contact me," Rin tells him, "I'll tell you if there's anything new. Don't talk about it to anyone, or I'll know, okay?" 

Makoto can't only nods in fear and leaves the two of them at Rin's doorstep. 

 

Rin brings Haru's body to his bedroom but does not lie him on his bed like he usually does. He walks without stopping towards a wall, the one with the magician's troup poster on it and gets through as if it was just made of air. Behind the wall hides a bigger room with tons of books and accessories, and a rectangular marble table on which finally, Haru's body ends. 

"So, where should we start, my dear little mermaid?" 

 

 

 

**_\- End of first book_ **

 

 


	2. The magician's tale

## Second book - The magician's tale 

* * *

 

 

It was a on cold December morning that Toraichi brought his son to the Ministry for the first time. Of course, he was against it – and we don't need to talk about his wife's disapproval – but there was nothing they could do about it. Even at 7 Rin had more magical powers than both of his parents combined and would be a bright star for the Magical world, there was no doubt about it. Rin had insisted that he wanted a mission to prove his worth as quickly as possible and so, when the opportunity occurred he literally dragged his father out of bed. This was this morning. 

Rin's chin was high and proud, but he was mostly trying to read what his first mission was about on a too high placed parchment. 

When they got out his father was rather concerned. 

"We don't even know what kind of magic it is," he whined. "We just know it's water type." 

"All the more fun! I'll have to discover everything!" 

"I don't understand why they are asking this kind of mission to a child like you." His father added. "It requires an adult's experience. We have no idea of what it might be." 

"Because the unauthorized magic came from a boy just my age," Rin told him. "If it's just a kid it will be easy. Maybe he's an orphan or clapher" 

"Or maybe It's a Sympth!" 

"Maybe no one told him it was bad to use magic in front of humans! Just relax dad. I could feel from here that he isn't that powerful. It can't be that dangerous." 

Rin had been right that day, the mission itself wasn't that dangerous; but it contained a thick mystery, and it lied in a name. 

"Haruka Nanase." 

"Glad to know you! My name is Rin Matsuoka. My name sounds like a girl's but I'm a boy I assure you." 

From the first hand shake Rin had known Haruka was just a boring human on earth but everything changed when he was in the water. It was like he could talk to it. 

And so, Rin talked with the water too. 

'Tell me, who's this boy?' 

 _'We can't tell! We promised not to tell.'_  

The water spirits living in the lagoon had their tongues sealed and Rin knew it wasn't a good sign. He asked for his father's advices. 

 

"It looks like a malediction. We have to look for an aquatic magical creature living in the area, and powerful enough to buy the lagoon's spirits' silence." 

The Ministry had sent another magician, an adult one. Rin refused his help, claimed he would resolve the mystery alone. 

"Okay, I can't force myself in your first mission after all. But I'll be there as many times as you will need me. My name is Yamazaki Sousuke." 

"Rin Matsuoka." 

Sousuke had been quite helpful. With his adult powers - called socialization and pressurization - the lagoon was definitely closed for the public and the inspection started soon after, but again Rin found nothing. No one would talk to him. 

Well, if magical creature didn't maybe a human would. 

Befriending Haru had been the most difficult task by far Rin had succeeded in his young career. The boy was blessed with water power without being a magician himself that was an evidence. Rin had to use some on his power when they raced, every single time, just to keep the pace – it was insane, it was not human and humans weren't made to support such magical powers. The boy, on top of breaking one of the most important rules of the magical world without knowing, was using his body. One day he could very well... 

Rin wasn't there to sympathize with a human in the first place so his future wasn't his priority. He had to find who caught this malediction, end point. 

 

 

The morning after his 15th birthday Sousuke unexpectedly woke him up. 

"You seem to have a lot of fun here." 

"Shut up." 

He had maybe drunk a little bit too much to celebrate – magicians are weak against alcohol. 

One of Sousuke's most annoying ability was to teleport from the magical world to where Rin was at the most annoying time and always with a terrific timing. 

"How long do you plan on staying here by the way? It seems you have made 0 progress since, what, years?" 

"It's in the sea, I know it." 

"We all know that." 

"I'm still waiting for something to come out of it. It will come, one day; I'm keeping a close eye on that kid so that I won't miss anything-" 

"And what did you find inside his mouth?" Sousuke asked him. 

Rin scowled, and got out of bed before replying. "We were drunk, okay? It just happened." 

"Haruka seemed really fond of your tongue." 

"How are you even supposed to know that?" 

"Gou told me." Sousuke said. 

Just like every member of his family, Rin's sister was a magician. She could miniature herself and often hid from her brother's view to watch over him. 

"...You're all pulling my leg." 

"Rin, you know what I'm about to say but I'm gonna say it anyway," Sousuke leaned against the wall before opening the door of Rin's bedroom. "People like Haru crave for magical powers. When the malediction is over he would be as into you as he is now." 

"He's not into me, okay?" Rin replied, "He was just drunk." 

"And you weren't. Take care of you Rin." 

 

 

All these years of investigation had lead to that moment. 

Nothing appeared to humans' eyes but Rin saw the change as clearly as day. First in his eyes, it appeared in his moves and words, the way he ate. A few weeks before Haru turned 18 the malediction activated, until today, until finally the magic takes over the human's part of Haru. 

 

Rin puts Haru's form on the marble table, and runs his hand on his legs.. "So, where should we start, my dear little mermaid?" 

He closes his eyes, a blue light appears from the palms of his hands. "...I see...ancient magic, almost archaic...almost...as old as the depth of the sea. Gou. Are you in there?" 

With a cute 'plop' his sister appears on his shoulder. "Yes?" 

"Can you call the Ministry? I need to have access to the database." 

A couple of minutes later all the information Rin needed appears on his wall. Comparing the form of magic he analysed in Haru within the database is just as easy as making the rain fall for Rin – which is something he had learned before he could walk properly. 

Unfortunately for him difficulties appear right away. 

"...What do you mean I don't have access to this file?" Rin pests. 

"Well technically speaking you're not 18," Gou says, "Which means-" 

"I've been working on this operation for human _years_ I won't be stopped because of a shitty administrative shit! Haru can't wait for me to be 18!" 

"Stop shouting like that..." 

Sousuke magically appears next to Rin and pats his shoulder. "I'll take care of this. Just let me log on the server. 

With a frown on his face Rin lets his friend do his work, his fists tightening with anger and anxiety. Haru has developed a kind of curse he won't be able to cure and considering how old the magic is, there is a huge possibility that no one in the ministry knows how to remove the malediction. Which means the only solution left to save him is to find whoever or whatever cursed him, and to force him/it to remove the spell. 

Which is what Rin was doing by looking at the Ministry's database where every magical creatures are registered. Everyone has a unique signature when they catch a spell. 

But things aren't getting any better when Sousuke speaks again. 

"...what the..." 

Even with his pass the file is still top secret. They will never know who cursed Haru. 

"Are you kidding me? Seriously? I thought you were so kind of important person-" 

"I am," Sousuke retorts, "This file is above my competence. Which means the thing you're looking for is either very dangerous or very important. We won't be able to gain any more information from the Ministry I'm afraid." 

Sousuke closes the app. "So, what have you gathered so far?" 

They walk to Haru's body, still unconscious on the marble table. Rin runs his hand on his legs, the scales hurt his palm and some blood fall on the white skin before being absorbed – more scales appear there. 

"He doesn't have for long. Since he bit my neck his leg have fused, I think the curse needs more magical powers to develop fully. Maybe it was how it started..." 

"The boy had been using magical abilities for a while now, don't blame yourself for this – or at least only blame your cock-" 

Rin sends him a death glare and covers Gou's tiny ears. 

"You meanie," she whispers. 

"My, my...you two, you're unbelievable." 

 

After a short brainstorming Sousuke and Gou leave Rin's place, since the human world can't handle too much magic at a time. Unable to let Haru lying so uncomfortably Rin takes him to his bathtub and turns the water on – not too hot, just as the lagoon's temperature, just as Haru likes it. He needs to go back to the sea one last time before throwing the towel. Maybe someone will talk to him this time. 

Rin leaves a kiss on Haru's forehead before he heads to the sea. 

There are a lot of people at the beach today, just like any other august day in the afternoon actually – which won't make anything easy. Rin looks for anything unusual. Any kind of clue which could betray...anything : an agitation of the seaworld, a tempest coming, strong waves... 

Rin doesn't recall there were so many crabs at this beach before. 

There are maybe a dozen busy rolling a hermit-crab out of his hiding place. He leans closer. 

 _'Come on grandpa! We're_ _gonna_ _be late!'_ One of the crab says. 

"Late for what?" 

 _'_ _I_ _iii_ _!'_  

Most of the crabs run away from him but two – the hermit crab and one of its...grandchildren? He grabs them from the sand. 

"Late for what?" Rin repeats. 

 _'It's a secret! We promise not to tell!'_  

"To whom?" 

 _'T-t-to the tritons!!'_  

The tritons? So there are merpeople in the lagoon? This explains almost everything! Haru had been cursed by a siren and is turning into one. This might be their new way of reproduction since so many had died with the human pollution of the seas... 

 _'Excuse me my dear? You seem to be of a valuable family, am I right?'_  

The hermit-crab pinches Rin's hand to get his attention. 

"Oh sorry mister. What were you saying?" 

 _'My legs are so weak that my children have to drag me back to the water but my eyes and ears are still of use. I heard the seagulls talking about a huge feast in the depth of the sea to welcome the new prince who's coming off age this week. That's where we were heading but I don't feel like going there...here, take my invitation card.'_  

The hermit crab takes a blue pearl out of his shell and gives it to Rin. When it touches his hand blue smoke escapes from the pearl, forming shadows of mermaids and fishes dancing and eating. 

"It's tomorrow night! I'll never have time to save Haru , there's must be-" 

"Mister, are you okay?" 

"Hn?" 

Next to him there is a young girl no older than three, looking at him curiously with an ice cream melting and soiling her bare feet. 

"You are talking to a crab." 

"Yeah, I mean, no I-" 

"I've tried, they never reply. Crabs are rude. Do you want my ice cream?" 

The girl hands him her ice cream, which fall dramatically on Rin's shoes. Before the girl cries Rin escapes the beach and runs back home, where he is welcomes by another kind of cries. 

"Haru!" 

His bathroom is devastated. Haru has pushed down everything while he was away, there's water and shampoo all over the floor. He's crying like he's traying to talk humans' words but can't anymore. He's in pain. Rin can see it. He hears it. 

He puts him in the bathtub again and when the water runs Haru calms down a bit. 

"Hey, look what you've done. You'll pay for that, you know? Next time you'll pay for ramens okay? Is that a deal?" 

Haru stops fighting in his arms. He looks at him – he stares, something he hasn't done yet since he became... 

Rin kneels in front of the bathtub. He can't believe he had been so reckless. Sousuke warned him but like everything he did he just ran straight to his goal, ignoring the consequences, he lived his life just like he wanted and had fallen for a human. 

Not a normal human, a human he was supposed to investigate on! 

Haru had never been like any other human anyway, he is unique and the curse doesn't have a lot to do with it – it made things worse but from the start Haru was peculiar and Rin loved it. Well, at first it irked him to no end. In hindsight the fact that he noticed everything Haru did was the first clue he had tried to ignore for so long. The moment he saw him something changed in Rin and it had never left him since. 

Haru leans on the palm of his hand as Rin strokes his cheekbone with his thumb. His eyes blue eyes are back. 

"Rin..." He calls his name. 

For a moment Rin really thinks things will come back to the way they were. The next moment, Haru bites his hand so hard he nearly chops it off his body. 

"Ouch !!! Stop it !!" 

Rin casts a stunning spell and Haru falls unconscious again, his head into the water. "Shit, shit shit shit..." 

Little Gou pops above his hand. "Let me help." 

"Gou..." Rin whines, "You don't have to-" 

But his sister won't listen and within a second his hand is fully healed. She stays on his shoulder, waits, until he opens his heart as he always does when he's about to crumble. 

"Rin, you did everything you could. Even Sousuke couldn't find who did this to him." 

Tears are falling on his cheeks. "I know, I know but it still hurts." 

A firm hand falls on his shoulder. Gou has transformed into her original form. 

"Listen, remember what mother used to say?" 

"There's always a way to lift a curse." 

Gou nods. "So you see? There's always a way. Don't worry to much then. If there's anyone who can find it, it's you." 

They hug for long minutes until Rin finds courage again. He sighs deeply and smiles to Gou. She smiles back. "Good, now I can go with my heart at ease. I'll see you soon, both of you, okay?" 

Gou leaves sakura petals behind her as she vanishes. She was right, there must be a way, there has to be! No one will take Haru off his arms, he won't let that happen, whoever or whatever stands before him. No one could win against Rin when Haru's life is on the line. 

"Haru, wait for me okay? I'm going to save you...Haru?" 

While he was away healing how wounds it seems Haru did the same – unless in his case, it means the transformation is nearly complete. Haru now wears a beautiful tail and even has gill on both sides of his neck. His eyes are yellow again, lifeless, like a fish. 

"My blood...he drank my blood to complete the transformation." 

After he gave it a thought Haru couldn't live in an in between state. He had to be either a human or a mermaid. 

It seems he has made his choice. 

Haru is no longer a human now. He doesn't belong there anymore. 

Tomorrow night...tomorrow Rin will take him back to where it belongs – and will say a little hello to the merpeople, because, why not after all? There's always a way...always.

 

 

 

 

 **\- End of second book**.

 

 

 


	3. The tale of the Sea

## Last book - the tale of the Sea

* * *

 

 

 

 

The morning after Rin comes to the lagoon, Haru secured in his arm still under the stunning spell. It's a blessing Sousuke had made the place close for the public – that way no one can see what kind of 'fish' Rin brings here, a certain amount of memory loss spell has been saved that way. 

"Dispel." Rin whispers as his hand covers Haru's face. 

Haru wakes up on the spot and tries to escape Rin's lap. As soon as his eyes fall on the water it becomes impossible to keep him in place. Rin surrenders, and throws him in. 

"Ah...I wanted so much to jump in there with you...maybe that's just my romantic side, after all the result is the same you're back in the water." 

Rin takes off his clothes and dives in. One of his last chance to save Haru is to observe his comings and goings once he'll be in the water. Whatever casts this spell on him might want him to come back. It's another bet but it's the best he's got. Following Haru might lead him to the creature he's been looking for years. 

To his surprise Haru is waiting for him. He looks concerned; he swim next to Rin and touches his nose and neck. 

"Don't worry," Rin says, "I'm a master of water magic, I can breathe under water and talk to sea creatures just like you." 

It's almost as if Haru can understand exactly what it implies – their races in the water, their mutual attraction – but Rin knows it cannot be. Haru's mind is the one of a mere fish he can't understand such complex notions anymore. 

Still, Haru takes his wrist and guides him into the depth of the Sea. 

Rin had never been there himself despite his abilities and, after thought its really such a shame! The scenery...everything is so beautiful. Fishes and corals are full of colours, some are even shining without any light from the sun. They even pass by a whale, asleep, its sons and daughters swimming around it. 

Haru halts suddenly. Rin takes his eyes off the whale to stare at a very tiny horse sea, holding a list. 

 _"...Your invitation?"_  

Haru turns to Rin, he clearly doesn't understand a thing of what the seahorse is saying. 

 _"Ahem, your invitation please?"_  

"Oh, yes, right here." 

Rin hands the blue pearl he got from the hermit-crab. The sea horse examines it with attention. 

"Hum...you don't look like Norbert at all..." 

"It's been a long time," Rin smiles, hoping this will do the trick. 

"And where's your gift for the Prince?" 

Rin frowns, the invitation never mentioned a gift! Norbert could have told him – who thought the hermit crab has such a lovely name. 

"Is the mermaid your gift?" The seahorse asks. "It's really beautiful. I'm sure the Prince will love it." 

"Yes! Yes it is." Phew, thank you sea horse they're saved. "A true beauty. A little bit biting if you see what I mean." 

"No I don't." 

Oh yeah, sea horses don't have teeth. 

 

As they progress deeper into the sea, Rin and Haru come across a thousand of different species of fishes and crustaceans. Most of them are gathered around a banquet. Haru drops his wrist as food comes into his view – mackerel, certainly. 

As his eyes cover the reunion Rin endeavours to study every fish he sees for some might be friendly to the Ministry. There's a bannerfish near the entrance that looks suspiciously familiar to him... 

He swims toward it. "Excuse me-" 

 _"What are you doing here?"_ The fish asks him. _"The event is strictly forbidden to magicians!"_  

"Matsuoka Rin, agent of the Ministry," Rin shows his ID and the fish got silent. "Is there a place where we can talk?" 

The fish's name is Aya, Rin had seen her report when he first interned the Ministry – it had been banned from the human world for seaweed traffic and smuggling of magical meals in the sea. Apparently it had broken its parole. 

"I don't know who did this to your friend but it looks like a wishing spell, a very strong one, I don't think you can undo it with making damage to the human. I've heard stories about human turned into mermaid..." 

"And?" Rin pressures it. 

"And you won't like the closure. None had go back to their human state. Either they stayed here or, worse..." 

Those who came back to the land had turned into foam as they soon as their toes touched the sanded beach.  

Rin can't find his words.

Is there really nothing he can do? 

"You shouldn't stay here any longer," Aya tells him. "Most of our guests are anti magical supporter, your life is in danger." 

"But I can't leave Haru here!" Rin retorts. 

"No, it's the opposite, you can't take him back to the lands or else, he'll die." 

Rin feels all his forces leaving his arms and legs. He can't find the strength to bite back, or even just to swim back to the feast. 

"Matsuoka, it's better like this. A wishing spell reflects what the human truly wants after all. If Haruka wants so dearly to become a mermaid then maybe you should let him." Aya says calmly. 

"But he was only 5 when he got cursed! You cannot let a 5 year old boy decides for such important matters!" 

"Whose heart are you trying to please, Haruka's or yours?" 

What had been unimaginable until very recently suddenly becomes an evidence. What if Haru really wants to stay here? All those times he had rather stayed by the sea instead of joining him at night...what if Rin has been wrong all this time? Haru was never to be saved, he just needed to be guide to where he belongs. 

And it means the sea. 

"Matsuoka, please don't cry," Aya words wake him out of his reverie, "You should be happy for him. At long last he finally lives where he has always wanted to be." 

"St-still, wishing spells are illegal okay?" Rin sobs, "Whatever or whoever did this will be arrested you have my word!" 

"Don't be so resentful, after all if it weren't for that person you would have never met Haruka." 

Life can be cruel, Rin knows it but never thought it will talk so much to him. He spots Haru swimming gracefully with tons of small yellow fishes, making circles and looping, his tail swinging majestically like it has always belonged here. There is nothing left to be said, Haru looks joyful and in years Rin had never seen that sort of expression on his face. There is still, certainly, a way to remove the spell but he doesn't want to anymore. 

"It's his choice, then?" Rin says mostly to himself. 

"Isn't it?" 

It is, really, and Rin respects that even if he doesn't want to. 

"Do I have time to say goodbye?" 

Aya nods, "I'll keep your detractors out for a moment. Take all the time you need." 

Rin swims toward the group of fishes and when he becomes within reach Haru grasps his hands, makes him swim along. It feels like waltzing, their first and last dance under the sea. Rin would have loved it if it didn't leave such a bittersweet taste in his mouth. Tomorrow he'll report his mission and will come back home after all. It's the end of a large part of his life. Sure novelty isn't always a bad thing but Rin hates endings. He never wants this dance to end either, but it does, and the time to say goodbye arrives way too soon. 

"You'll remember me, okay?" 

Rin caresses Haru's cheeks, the scales hurt his thumb once more. This is it, the sharks will smell it from miles away, he doesn't have a lot of time left. 

Haru's mouth opens, he looks like he wants to say something but doesn't remember how to. He looks confuse as well. There's no way Rin can explain which such little time anyway. 

"I was really, really happy to meet you, from the very beginning, despite everything I've said I, really, I adore you so much Haru. You have no idea." 

Haru blinks several time, showing no sign of comprehension. 

"...You'll probably never know then, since my words can't reach you anymore." 

Rin hugs him tightly, runs his fingers one last time in his hair and kissed his shaped lips. He's relieved when Haru doesn't fight back – that would have been logical and heart-breaking at the same time. 

When Rin ends the kiss Haru is moving his ears back and forth; he lets out a cry but it's just that, a cry; Rin doesn't understand what he wants to tell him. 

"It's okay! It's okay. You'll be happy here. It's what you have always wanted after all? Why am I even talking to you you can't understand me anymore." 

Haru cries again. 

"Better go quickly before it gets more unbearable." Rin takes a deep breath, his eyes gazing upon the surface, "I love you, I'll keep loving you, always. Take care of yourself, and be happy for both of us down there. Goodbye Haru. Goodbye." 

Leaving is not that complicated, after all Rin just has to move his legs and arms in order to move forward but not turning back turns out to be a real nightmare. Rin remembers how Orpheus lost his fiancée by turning back, he doesn't know why he thinks of mythology at this moment but the parallelism seems appropriate. 

Something catchs his ankle – a hand. 

"What the-" 

Haru cries behind him. 

"...Haru! Haru you can't follow me." 

He cries again, and takes his wrist. 

"I can't go back either. I don't belong there, I have to go home." 

He hasn't realized yet but Haru's blue eyes are back again. Just like this time in the bathtub. It seems there's still a bit of his human self lingering in the depth of his conscience. His hand slowly lets go of Rin's wrist and both stand still, waiting for the other to make a step, back or forward. 

"Haru...I can't stay with you. And you can't stay with me. This is goodbye. Definitively." 

The sound Haru makes then is a sad lament, a harrowing cry powerful enough to make every single creature of the sea cry. He leans against Rin's forehead and remains there for a bit, Rin isn't sure but somehow he can see him crying. 

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry." Rin whispers, and then, he leaves Haru behind, ignoring his desperate calls. 

He hears them all the way to the surface, they never lessen in intensity. When his knees hit the sand Rin crumbles; he curls into a ball and concentrates all his energy to breathe properly – hopefully it's pitch black outside, no one would see him cry. Haru's cries are still resonating in his head. How long would they haunt him? 

"...in." 

The waves crash on the shore, it eases his nerve. But there's something else, something foreign and sad, something that makes his heart races and his stomach sinks. 

"...Rin..." 

Rin is so afraid to look at the sea that for a moment, the voice paralizes him. 

Is this really happening? 

"...You idiot! I told you not to follow me!" 

Haru has reached the shore as well, his arms are on the beach. A thin coat of foam can be seen where his skin touches the sand. 

"...Rin." 

"I told you not to follow!" Rin kneels in front of him, his voice is strangled already. "Why aren't you listening? You'll turn into foam if you come back here. Let me help you-" 

But Haru is nowhere cooperative. As soon as Rin touches his arm he puts it away.  

Rin can't help the tears from falling. "You're an idiot. You're a stupid idiot you're gonna die if you don't come back into the sea. Do you even understand that?" 

Haru keeps crawling towards Rin, half of his tail now resting on the sand. He grabs his ankle and holds it tight. 

"Rin..." 

He's unable to move. "...Don't die for me. Please, don't die for me Haru. Don't be a monster, come back to the sea." 

"...Rin." 

He stands up, his mind is made up. "You leave me no choice, you stupid...fish! Come here." 

Rin takes him in his arm and runs to the sea. When his waist touches the water he stops. "This is where I leave you. I don't want you here in my life anymore so leave me." He lies, his words come quickly before he has time to regret them. "Leave the land, leave the sand, come back to your so dear sea where you belong!" 

But Haru won't leave his side, his arms are firmly holding his shoulders. 

And even more alarming, he's still turning slowly into foam. 

"What the hell...Haru, what's happening to you?" 

"He's rejecting the spell I'm afraid." 

"Huh! Who's there?" 

The voice came from behind but Rin is a hundred percent sure they are alone at this time of the night. There's not a human soul in sight. 

There's no human but there's a small fish, no longer than 20 centimetres, rather ugly – a sardine, something like that – which is swimming rather peculiarly toward them – its tail strokes the sea while its body stands upright. At the sight Haru holds Rin even tighter. 

"Fish!" 

"Haru, you know it? Oh! It's you!" 

"It's time I introduce myself I guess." 

The sardine then transforms into a very handsome young man, with blond hair and a white suit. He also has a top hat on his hand that he puts on his head. It looks like he's walking on the water.

"I am the Prince of the Sea. Haru...'saved' my life 13 years ago as I was trying to escape from the sea world." 

"You were trying to escape?" Rin repeats. 

"Alas, yes...you see, I knew I would have to reign on the seaworld and at that time I was young and naïve...I didn't want to become a Prince, or King, and I only thought of saving my own neck. I thought I could become a human but for that, I needed someone to take my place." 

"You mean...you put a spell on Haru for him to become the prince instead of you?" 

The prince looks very sorry. "I'm afraid you are right. That was very selfish of me I admit. I thought Haruka would love to live under the sea, but my guess was wrong. He chose you over the sea, that's why he's turning into foam as we speak." 

The grip on his shoulder has greatly lessen, same with Haru's waist and torso – his body was practically melting into the sea incredibly quickly. 

"Woa! Haru! Hold on!" 

"May I?" The prince says. 

Out of the blue the prince takes Haru's chin and kisses his lips. Haru opens his eyes, his body shines as soon as the kiss ends - his hands, his legs, his ears...the scales disappear by magic. 

"There, the spell is removed. Your friend is no longer dying." 

The prince smiles but Rin is at the verve of punching him in the face. How dare he say those things so innocently, as if Haru's life has never been on the line? How dare he kiss him without his approval? 

But he doesn't, because Haru collapses on his lap and then, Rin decides he has better things to do with his hands. 

"...No hard feelings, I suppose?" 

"Get out of here!" 

The prince blows and then dives into the sea. They never see him again. 

 

 

 

 

"...It makes sense, since he was the Prince the Ministry wouldn't allow us to suspect him." 

"Did you just said what I think you said? That it made _sense_?" 

Sousuke drinks his morning coffee, in his police uniform. "It kind of does. The guy didn't want to be a prince, he found a poor soul who wanted to live in the sea, he made a deal with him. End point. What doesn't is the fact that who were both arrested for walking naked in a public area." 

"Ah...it's a long story." 

Rin leans against his chair, handcuffed. "Where is Haru?" 

"Still sleeping. Does he remember?" 

"I don't think so," Rin says, "When he woke up that night he told me he had made a dream about being a mermaid."     

"And?" 

"That's all. He wouldn't tell me more." 

Sousuke sighs, "I hope we won't have to erase his memory on top of that." 

"Don't worry I'll look after him. If there's anything suspicious I'll take care of it." 

"Really?" Sousuke asks, "After everything that happened you still want to stay here with him? He is not cursed anymore, you know. He won't feel this attraction towards you because of your magical powers." 

Rin couldn't repress his smile. "Are you so sure about that?" 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

"Rin...Rin I made a dream..." 

Rin puts my head in his lap, stroking my bangs out of my eyes.  My mind is so foggy.

"I dreamed...of you...and of the sea..." 

"And?"

He caresses my cheek with his thumb, taking away the sand that got stuck there. There's so much gentleness in his touch.

"And I've made my choice." 

His eyes are lost in the horizon, the sun is slowly rising. 

"You know things will be different from now." He tells me. As if I didn't already know.

"I know. I can fell it too." There's something different when I look at Rin. There's a little something that is missing but the sight of his face, the way he looks at him, touches me, everything he is feels like a punch in the stomach. I woke up with the dread of loosing him forever, and now he's here holding me into in arms.

"I'm tired. Take me home." 

I wish for him to never leave me again. I don't think I can handle it. It feels like breathing an air without oxygen.

Rin holds me bridal style, naked, and walks towards my house. I stop him.

"No, not there. Home. Take me to your place." 

Rin has his head so high in the clouds he misses the cops' siren. 

But it doesn't really matter anymore. 

Because at long last, after a long journey in the between both worlds, we're finally going home. 

 

 

 

 

 

## The young man and the sea – the End. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Xmas everyone! Love will always win in the end...  
> I didn't have time to polish the magical universe as i wanted to but I hope you can make your own idea about it.  
> I hope you enjoyed your gift ! I had fun writing it.


End file.
